Until Midnight (Pedro Pascal)

PEDRO

I stormed out of the kitchen, my breaths coming in heavy, ragged gasps as if I'd been running from something—or someone. The taste of Allie's lips still lingered on mine, a sweet, addictive torment that I couldn't shake. Her scent, a heady mix of her perfume and something uniquely her, seemed to cling to me, taunting me with memories of her body pressed against mine.

What the fuck had I done? I paced the living room, my mind a chaotic storm of desire, regret, and confusion. The cool air did little to quench the fire that raged within me. I could still feel the ghost of her touch, the softness of her skin, the curve of her body beneath my hands. It was a sensation I couldn't escape, a memory etched into my very soul.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to gain some control, but it was futile. The image of her, eyes dark with desire, lips swollen from our kiss, was seared into my mind. I could still hear her moans, the way her body responded to mine, the desperate need that mirrored my own. It was a symphony of sensation that played on repeat, driving me to the brink of madness.

Why had I let it go so far? I knew the dangers of crossing that line, the risks involved in giving in to the temptation that had been building between us. But one touch, one taste, and I was lost, a slave to the primal, raw need that consumed me.

I paced to the window, looking out at the darkening sky, the setting sun casting an eerie glow over the landscape. The beauty of it was lost on me, my mind too preoccupied with the turmoil within. I clenched my fists, knuckles turning white as I fought to regain some semblance of control. But the battle was lost before it began. The memory of her body against mine, the feel of her hands on my chest, the sound of her voice—it all combined to create a storm of desire that threatened to drown me.

The room seemed to close in on me, the walls pressing in as if to trap me in this never-ending cycle of want and regret. I turned, my back to the window, and leaned against the sill, my eyes closed as I took a deep, shaky breath. The coolness of the glass did little to ease the heat that coursed through my veins. I was a mess of contradictions, torn between the desire that consumed me and the fear of the consequences.

Consequences. The word echoed in my mind, a stark reminder of why I should have kept my distance. Allie was Jessie's ex-girlfriend, and Jessie was... well, he was a complication. A complication that had driven a wedge between Allie and me, a chasm that I wasn't sure could ever be bridged. And yet, here I was, falling into the same trap, letting desire cloud my judgment, letting the past blur the lines of what was right and wrong.

I opened my eyes, staring unseeingly at the room before me. The memories of Jessie, of the pain and the loss, all threatened to surface, but I pushed them down, not ready to face that particular demon. Not when the taste of Allie still lingered on my lips, not when the feel of her body was still imprinted on mine.

A loud bubble and hiss from the kitchen snapped me back to reality. The pasta. I had almost forgotten about the dinner she was cooking. The interruption was a welcome distraction, a chance to escape the tumultuous storm of my thoughts. I took one last look out the window, the setting sun a fiery ball of orange and red, a mirror to the passion that still raged within me.

With a deep, shuddering breath, I pushed off from the window sill and made my way back to the kitchen, my steps heavy with the weight of my thoughts. I knew I couldn't avoid her forever.

•••

I grabbed my jacket from the coat rack and pulled it on, the rough fabric grounding me somewhat. "I'm heading out for the night," I called to Allie, my voice gruffer than I intended. "Need to clear my head and I won't be back till late."